Paint The Town Red
by OnceUponAFan
Summary: Loosely inspired from The Mentalist. Degrassi comes under investigation when a murder occurs. Who is threatening staff and student alike? Why are they doing it? Read to find out. Rated T for mild language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Clare Edwards shook herself. It was cold outside and her jacket was doing little to help her.

_Where is he? _She took out her phone and looked at it. It had been only fifteen minutes since the school closed but Clare was by nature impatient.

The sun was going down. She turned her head only to hear the faint sound of footsteps. _Just your imagination Edwards calm down. _

Whenever Clare scowled at herself she would always call herself Edwards.

Just like how her mom did. She heard the sound again. _I wonder what is going on._

Clare waited ten minutes for him.

Then she went to the side door and tried it.

Expecting it to be lock but to her surprise it was opened.

She walked into the main empty hallway and heard no noises.

She quietly glided across the hallway.

It was completely quiet outside.

If Clare had to guess the noises had came from running from the front of the school to the back.

Making sure that she wasn't heard she went straight to the door at the end of the hall.

Again she listened for noise. But nothing was heard.

She was about to turn around and get ready to walk home.

Clare never heard someone sneaking up behind her.

* * *

Archie groaned and sipped his morning coffee.

It was time for another day at Degrassi.

Despite his apprehensiveness he did love the school.

Without thinking twice he activated the lock on his car and took out his keys for the front.

He opened the door and gasped at what he saw. It was a bright red drooling smiley face on the wall.

Taking his eyes off it he saw a figure slumped against the wall.

He ran to it and saw Clare Edwards with her throat slit. He didn't need to check her pulse. It was clear that she had been dead for hours.

Fumbling he took out his phone. "Hello 911. Yes, I need to report a murder." His mind still racing he dashed outside.

He had no idea how long he waited. He spent the whole time telling himself that the Police would catch the killer and everything would be alright.

_Why Clare? She was a good student from the few times we have talked._

A Police car showed up. A tall man with a faint brown mustache walked up and shook Archie's hand.

"Ronald"

"Archie" he reacted.

Archie was on autopilot at this point.

Snapping into place he studied the officer in front of him.

He had a faint brown moustache, straight brown hair with soft green eyes and a cut from the left of his lip to the right of his chin.

Archie knew better than to ask where he got it from.

"Did you shut down the school?"

He snapped to life.

"Y-Yes I have."

Ronald nodded his head."Good. Let's keep it shut. For a few days maybe more I can't say anything for certain. I know this will be difficult for you-"

Ronald softened his face.

"But I need you to show me. Just telling me the information might not be enough."

He didn't say anything while Archie gathered his courage.

"It's okay the body isn't going anywhere." He gave a small laugh.

Archie didn't say anything.

After a few minutes Archie finally took him inside.

The body hadn't changed and everything still looked the same.

Ronald was looking at the bloody red smiley face.

"Do you watch a lot of TV?" Ronald turned at Archie.

"The TV show _The Mentalist _has a serial killer named Red John who does this. I'm still wondering who that is by the way. Do you have any violent students?"

"A few troublemakers but not anyone that would do this," Ronald nodded his head accepting that answer.

"I'm going to need a list of all her friends and contacts."

He wasn't looking behind him but staring at the body.

He made a signal and the Principal disappeared.

He put on gloves and checked Clare. He checked for a cell phone but found none.

_Clever this probably wasn't planned based on what the principal said but the killer didn't panic and leave the phone._

_ And yet no sadistic torture to the body but maybe that's because there wasn't enough time. _

_No humiliation of the body nothing like the Jigsaw cases. _

A shiver went through Ronald's body.

_The way that body twisted….I didn't even think that was possible. _

He still thought of that sometimes when he couldn't sleep at night.

He looked at the door behind Clare and saw blood.

_Please let it be hers_. _I really don't want this. _He opened the door and saw two bloody red smiley faces on the whiteboard.

Two bodies both in different seats with throats slashed.

One was in the front row and the second in the middle.

Both heads were tilted back. One of them was a young woman with bright blonde hair wearing a yellow shirt.

The other student wore a grey wool cap with brown hair. He turned and saw the same word on each desk.

"Tyger, Tyger" was written on both desks.

Ronald went outside to the front.

_A serial killer with no intention to stop I need to move faster than I thought on this. _

After describing the two he was told they were Becky Baker and Adam Torres.

"Who are they? Do they have anything that would make them targets?" Archie scratched his nose.

"Adam Torres was a FTM." _That widens the list a little. _

"I need that list on the students who were friends with them as well."

Archie gave him the list with a shake of his hands.

Ronald felt bad for him.

_Note to self don't involve Principal unless you have to. _He looked over the list.

_I'll talk with the friends and family to see if they or anyone they knew was hassling Adam. _

He would have to talk with Fiona Coye, Eli Goldsworthy, Drew Torres, Luke Baker, Imogen Moreno and that might just be the start.

He sighed deeply. It was going to be a long day.

_Oh fuck. That potential arson case is looking better by the minute. Why didn't I take my vacation? _


	2. Red Chalk

Ronald stood outside of the Torres's house.

It was bright in the morning and he had a long day in front of him.

He had already spoken to Clare and Becky's parents the day before.

Neither of them had any tell of reacting before he told them they were dead.

He knocked on the door.

The woman he assumed to be Adam's mom opened the door.

She had bags under her eyes. "Yes?" she croaked out.

Ronald flashed his badge. He stepped inside into the living room.

He saw the older brother Drew.

He looked tired as well.

"What's the news on my little brother?"

Drew asked without much energy.

Ronald took a deep breath "I'm sorry to tell you that Adam was murdered." He studied both of their faces.

It was confirming a worst fear for both.

Both were looking down on the floor but something about Drew seemed off. "He was found with Becky and Clare did you know them?"

He could read they knew Clare but not Becky.

Ronald zoomed in on Drew. "Drew was anyone picking on Adam?"

Drew muttered something. Ronald moved in to hear him better.

"Yes, Luke was bullying him. Part of a feud he had with Eli."

_Eli I need to talk to him. He was on my list of associates and he's artsy enough to try something like this. _

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?" Drew didn't say anything.

Ronald went down close to him. He was glaring at Drew intensely. "If you had anything to do with this now is the time to tell me."

Drew's mother snapped into guardian mode.

"Don't you talk to my son like that. He was his brother." Ronald didn't say anything he just got up and left the house.

* * *

Ronald drove in his Toyota to Eli's house singing along with the radio to Don Mclean's "American Pie" trying to get his mind off the murder.

He knocked on the front door and was let in from Eli's parents.

Ronnie noticed the skull bedspread and poster of a metallic band on his wall.

Inside he groaned.

Quickly searching the place he found Eli's phone in his top drawer.

He snatched it without thinking twice about it.

"What are you doing?" With shaggy black hair and skull and crossbones t-shirt Eli looked exactly like Ronald thought he would.

"I kept talking around and your name popped up."

Ronald himself didn't understand why he was coming in hard.

_I want this damn case over as soon as possible. _"Yeah," he waited for Ronald to continue.

"You were friends with both Clare and Adam right?"

"Yes that would be accurate."

"Did you have any fights with them?"

"We were friends of course we fought."

"I mean did you have any serious fights with them. A falling out of any kind?"

"No"

"Did they act any differently then they had been for the last few days?"

"No alright"

"Where were you on the day they died at 4PM?"

"I was at home on the computer."

` "Can anyone vouch for that?"

"My parents can."

"Can anyone else?"

"Sorry no."

"Alright don't leave town."

Eli rolled his eyes and left.

Ronald showed himself out and checked Eli's phone.

The last call said it had been from Clare at roughly the same time of the murder.

_You lied to me you little shit. Consider yourself my number one suspect. _

* * *

He got a message from his phone as soon as he left the house.

He could hear the sound of a cigar being puffed from the other line.

_I can't even wipe my ass without my new boss knowing about it_.

He could imagine the squiggled on moustache of his boss now.

"What do you want Bronson?" Ronald did his best to keep the iron out of his voice.

"I know you wanted the school to stay closed but that's the issue for the next PTA meeting not ours."

"No I didn't want our killer to know we were on to them. For all we know they could have left."

"They didn't. They are sure they aren't going to get caught. Just some stupid kid with a blade who thinks he's the next Zodiac killer."

"That is assuming they are a kid."

"Why are any of the parents or staff looking suspicious?"

"Not really. I'm just keeping an open mind."

"That's why I like you Ronnie. You always keep an open mind."

"I've told you not to call me that."

"Sorry. Speaking of staff did you get security from the camera cross the way?"

"They all but speed delivered it to me only to discover it was missing."

"I got a few leads to work on. Don't check in on me so often. I can take care of myself."

"Fine I'll give you some space. Don't make me regret it."

Ronald punched the end call button and went to the school.

_Okay according to estimations the body of Clare Edwards was dead for manys hours and Becky and Adam were murdered around the same time_. _No sign of break in and the side door was probably used_.

_That means either someone let them in or someone forgot to lock up. Either way I got to talk to them. _

* * *

He took out a list of staff Archie had given him. He got in his car and started to drive to his destination. He went to one of the janitor's house and went to the front door.

He knocked a few times with no response.

He drew out his gun and kicked down the door. He covered a few rooms of the house.

Ronald gasped and saw two people tied back to back in chairs.

One of them was the person he knew to be the janitor.

With his hair covered his eyes he was slump over. Ronald didn't need to check for a pulse.

The other person was Drew and he had a bleeding wound in his leg.

It didn't look serious. Ronald cut the ropes he was struggling against.

Drew took a switchblade out of his pocket and with no hesitation sliced directly across Ronald's throat.

Shocked at what had happened he put both hands on his bleeding throat.

Drew was still very serious.

"I didn't want to do this but I had no choice. I'm sorry." Then he departed while Ronald kneeled over.


	3. Caught Red Handed

Ronald kept his hands on his throat. _I'm not going to die here. I'm not going to die here_. He keeled over and scrambled for his phone. He dialed what he thought was 911.

Come on I can do this. He punched the call button and then blacked out.

Ronald woke up in the hospital. He tried to open his mouth to say anything but nothing came out. He felt very dry. I can't talk. Why can't I talk. He felt an itch in his throat.

A doctor was standing over him. He had horned rimmed glasses, trimmed blonde hair and small compressed eyes. They were bent inwards and very noticeable.

"I'm sorry to tell you that your vocal cords have been cut. I doubt you will be able to ever speak again." His doctor pulled up a chair. "You have to understand Ronald that we were worried we wouldn't be able to save your life."

Ronald blinked multiple times and his doctor started to leave. "I'm truly sorry. Family will be allowed in a minute."

Ronald lifted himself from his hospital chair.

_So I can't speak. I can wallow in self pity better after this case is over._ He saw from the tray on his side a small whiteboard and marker.

_Don't cry. I can cry later._ His wife Rebecca drifted towards him. For several minutes time seemed to be disconnected from Ronald and Rebecca.

Neither spoke they just grabbed each other as tightly as possible. He wrote on his board. I have to get the perps on this case. Rebecca looked disappointed. "How you can hardly work as it is."

He wrote Drew Torres stabbed me. Rebecca trembled with rage. He wrote more down and studied how Rebecca reacted.

* * *

It was after hours in the hospital. Everyone was asleep or half dead. He was thankful for the poor measurements of security. The hospital wasn't exactly Fort Knox. Drew looked at his knife and studied it.

I don't really want to do this. I could walk away right now. He took a step back and then more forwards. He moved to Ronald's room. _Just one more._

A figure behind Drew grabbed his arm and twisted it. He yelled in pain. A bald man with pointed out ears and squinty eyes pushed Drew to the ground. Ronald sprang up from his bed. He glared daggers at Drew.

"Thanks to you my partner had to explain his plan to his wife who had to explain it to me."

The man punched Drew in his chest. Easily grabbing the knife and disarming him.

"Because now he can't talk."

A punch knocked Drew to the ground and another one made him feel like he was going to lose his teeth. With a grab to his throat Drew was against the wall.

"You didn't kill Becky and Adam did you?"

Drew stopped struggling. "No I didn't. I only killed Clare."

"Who put you up to the others?"

"It was Eli."

Ronald nodded his head. Like the two were in telepathic synch the bald cop tightened his grip.

"Eli is dead isn't he? After you got done almost killing Ronald you went back and met up with him. The two of you fought and you killed him because the idea of listening to someone who murdered your brother made you sick right?"

Drew nodded his head. "Why did Eli kill Adam and Becky?"

"He murdered them to hurt Clare. to hurt me. He snapped when he discovered the two of us were dating. The guy is crazy."

"Thanks for the tip." The bald man sarcastically gave Drew a few more hits. He picked up his cellphone and gave it a dial.

"Go pick up Eli Goldsworthy. His alibi of his parents won't hold up. Even if it does messages from his phone put the two at contact with each other. More than enough to nail him."

The bald cop put his phone down. He gave a grim look to Ronald. "I'm sorry Ronald."


End file.
